IHC takes up pleas against verdict today

High treason case

Islamabad - A division bench of Islamabad High Court will today (Tuesday) resume the hearing of petitions challenging Special Court’s verdict dated November 21, 2014.The Special Court while hearing the high treason case against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had directed in its said order to the government to include the names of former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, former Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid and former Supreme Court Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar as co-accused of Musharraf in this case.Then, the four identical petitions were filed by former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, former judge of Supreme Court Justice (Retd) Abdul Hameed Dogar, former Law Minister Zahid Hamid and former President District Bar Association Rawalpindi Taufiq Asif Advocate and challenged the Special Court’s judgement.Previously, while hearing these petitions, the dual bench of ihc comprising Justice Noor-ul-Haq N Qureshi and Justice Aamer Farooq made it clear that this court had not restrained the Special Court (SC) to conduct proceedings against former president Pervez Musharraf in high treason case against him.The court further observed if the Special Court wanted to conduct hearing of this case then it can start the proceedings.Earlier, the federation of Pakistan had apprised the ihc that it is ready to initiate investigations against former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Justice (Retd) Abdul Hameed Dogar and former Federal Minister Zahid Hamid in high treason case.Additional Attorney General (AAG) Afnan Karim Kundi had appeared before the court representing the federation and informed the court that the Special Court (SC) issued the judgment dated November 21, 2014 without hearing the petitioners and no investigations were held against them so far.In this regard, he told the court that federal government is ready to initiate investigations against all of them.Advocate Iftikhar Gillani the counsel for Justice (r) Abdul Hameed Dogar had contended that the SC had no powers to nominate accused in this case. He requested the court to declare the said judgment as null and void.